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Enclosure 1
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C.O. 1
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"The Hongkong Weekly Press of ord Cutöber, 189/4
THE PLAGUE HEROES.
PUBLIC MEETING AT THE CITY HALL.
A largely attended public meeting was held
on Thursday afternoon
our first thanks are due. He at once saw the i gravity of the situation, and acted as perhaps few would have done. He did not hesitate to take upon himself the responsibility of sanc the volunteering of the military.
purpose of considering at the City Hail for the 27. def. responsibility was great, for all that we heat taken to recognise the services rendered to the ember, comunnuity during the plague. Among those 1894. present were H. F. Sir William Robinson, His Honour Mr. Justice Ackroyd, Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart. Hon. J. J. Keswick, Hon. E. R. Belilios, Hon. A. McConachi, Hon. E. Bowdler, Capt. Lethbridge, Messrs. H. Mackintosh. A.. Coxon, H. H. Hoppins, T. Jackson, H. E. Wode. house, C. V. Ladds, Granville Sharp, R. Fraser Simth, G. Piercy, T. Sercombe Swith, G. R. Stevens, J Grant Smith, A. Findlay Smith, J. Hastings. J R. Michael, D. R. Sassoun, J. S. Moves. J. Tharburo, W. Wylie, A. G. Wise V. H. Dacon, J. B. Coughtrie, A. B. Johnson, A. G. Wood, Gen. B. Dodwell, J. P. Cottain, W. St. J. Hancork. R. M. Gray, J. Marshall, Capt. Sterling, and others.
The ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE-I am quite sure everyone here will beartily endorse the action of the Committee in asking His Ex- vallency the Governor to take the chair en this occasion, and I therefore formally move that Sir William Robinson do take the chair. (Applause). His EXCELLENCY-Gentlemen, I am much obliged to you for asking me to take the obair on this interesting occasion, We are met this! afternoon as you know to consider the steps which should be taken to recognise the gallant and noble efforts of those volun- teers, military, naval, police, and lay, who offered their services unreservedly and with such great effect, when the plague broke out. I do not intend to trench upon the able and eloquent speeches which I have no doubt | we shall hear from the gentlemen on either side; of me.
I am glad to see so many here this afternoou-gentlemen who I feel sure will de- light in doing honour to those to whom great honour is due. (Hear, hear). The first resolution, whiob will be moved by the Acting Chief Justice, if as follows: That this meeting do resolve that the services rendered to this community during the recent plague by those who assisted are worthy of public recognition.”
The ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE-Your Excellency and gentlemen, I have wonch pleasure in res- ponding to the call of your Excellency in moving the first resolution, which has just been placed before you. The facts connected with the recent plague and the services which have been rendered to the colony in connection with this outbreak are no doubt still fresh in your minds, but perhaps you will permit me for the purposes of this resolution to briedy recall them. In the beginning of May lost there were rumours here that a new and to all appearances a deadly disesse was raging in Canton. Enquiries there proved the report to be true, and soon after that there were some suspicions deaths in this culony. These increased, and on May 11th there was & meeting of the Sanitary Board at which ex- traordinary resolations and exceptional powers were taken, aud this colony was declared to be infected. The Sanitary Board, assisted by Mr. May and the Europeans in the police under him, did all that they could then to stop the progress of the disease. This nafortunate- ly was ineffectual; volunteers were called for, and about fifty were obtained, from the garrison, and it was hoped that with the advent of the rains we should be able to stamp out the disease. Our hopes vanished bit by bit, fresh efforts were made, and we received further assistance from the garrison to the extent of 300 volunteers. Notwithstanding this the plague still spread it took a good hold on the colony, and during several weeks it taxed the courage, energy, and perseverance of those who were seeking to com. but it. At last, by God's blessing on the mes- sures taken, we were mercifully delivered from it, I am sure you all wish to recoguise the services
of those who assisted the colony in this terrible I visitation. To Major-General Barker I think
our
of the plague was that it was a deadly die- erase and nobody could then tell what would be the effect of it on these men, who would be Nor brought so closely into contact with it. did the responsibility diminish when fresh calls were made on the military nor when some of the soldiers had unfortunately fallen victims to the disease. Tbs General, recognis ing the danger that the colony was in, continued the responsibilty of allowing the soldiers to go on with their good work, "That responsibility, as I have already said, was great. Fortunately we have only had to deplore one death among the volunteers, but if there had been a greater mortality the General would have been severely blamed by his superiors and by those who are always ready to criticise and censure the efforts of others without doing anything them- i selves to help their fellow-creatures in moments of difficulty and distress. The colony is deeply indebted to General Barker, and his services, I am quite sure, will not go aurewarded. I think I should next mention the services rendered by the officers and soldiers of the Shropshire Regiment, by several officers of the Royal Engineers, and by other members of the garrison. Whatever they did was essentially volunteer service. They are not, strictly speak ing of us; they are here to-day and gone to- morrow. But as soon as they saw they could be of use and recognised the colony wan in danger
they readily and willingly came forward to belp. Their task was not a light one. On the con- trary, it was a difficult one. At times, it must have been very disagreeable and always fraught with danger. Remember, they were working in the slums of Taipiugehan during the sum mer mouths. Their work was to visit from house to konse, to search for the sick and the dead, to remove them and all the aconmula- tions of dirt and filth, funiture and other effects, and then to thoroughly disinfect and cleanse these houses. I am told the amount of dirt re moved was astonishing. This work was always done with alaority and never-failing good ha- mour, and it was done only as volunteers could do it. (Applause.) There was no half-heartedness, for they did it with all their might. (Load up. planse.) The Colonel and officers tendered vain. able assistance. They vied with each other in organising the men, in teaching them and rendering every assistance they could; and by their constant presence showed they were ready to participate in the danger to which the men who were at work were exposed. Colonel Robinson visited his men, I believe, morning and evening, nearly every day, and nothing was left undone by him that he could do to help and encourage them. (Applause.) The officers also on duty imì- tated his example; there was no shirking their work; they assisted the men so far as they could; they worked with them and eucanfraged them by Their constant presence in the midst of the infected district. "Soldiers as a rule are trained to destroy life, not to save it; this was a new rôle for our friend Tommy Atkins, but he has done it well. He has proved that he can do bis daty whether it is resisting a European foe, or repelling the furious onslanghts of Indian or Arab fanatics, or fighting in the slums of Tai- pingshan an ouseeu bat not less deadly enemy. (Applause. This regiment has a distinguished record which is proudly displayed on its colours, for it has fought its country's battles during the long contest in the Peninsula, on the burs ing plains of Scinde and in other arts of India and again in Egypt and the adau. Of these feats it is jastly proud, but think the day-to-day fight with disease in Tai- pingshan in the summer of 1894 will, for conrage and endurance and devotedness to duty, compare with aby
of their gallant achievements. (Loud applanse.)
Liev
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